SPANISH TAPAS

Beautiful, Delicious and Easy Tapas Recipes

Tapas Bonitas aims to bring you the authentic Spanish tapas recipes for pinchos, banderillas, cazuelas and cosas de picar just like they are made and served in a real Spanish tapas bar or tapas restaurant, whether in San Sebastian, Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia, Sevilla, Cadiz, Cordoba, Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, or wherever in Spain.

Our great tapas recipes and original paella recipes are both delicious and simple. Making tapas yourself is not difficult at all, so you could easily start your own Spanish tapas restaurant at home...

Tapas dishes on the counter of the Bernardo Etxea Tapas Bar in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain. A Spanish Fingerfood Buffet!

Spanish Party? Create a Tapas Fingerfood Buffet!

Been on vacation in Spain last year? Bring back that summer feeling and surprise friends and family with a beautiful fingerfood buffet filled with a selection of the beautiful and easy tapas from the pages of Tapas Bonitas!

You can even turn it into a real Spanish party with some sunny music, a nice Sherry, a fizzy Cava, a good glass of Rioja or Penedes, and finish it off with a beautiful Spanish Brandy or a smooooth 43 on the rocks...

Tapas: Cosas de Picar, Pinchos, Banderillas, Cazuelas?

Tapas, Pintxos, Pinchos, Banderillas, Pinchos de Encurtidos, Gildas, Cosas de Picar, Cazuelas, it doesn't really matter what you call them, they are all simply delicious bites!

In the Spanish Basque Country - where they know a thing or two about Tapas - they call them Pintxos, and in the rest of Spain - where they are quite up to speed as well - they generally call them Pinchos, or just Tapas.

Some people talk about Spanish appetizers, Spanish snacks or Spanish fingerfood, others compare Spanish tapas to French amuses and hors d'oeuvres. More comparisons are possible: think about the Portuguese petiscos, the Italian antipasti, the Turkish mezze, Chinese dim sum...

If we want to make a distinction between the various types of fingerfood and appetizers that are served at the bar throughout Spain, it is possible to classify Tapas as follows:

• Cosas de Picar

Stuff that you can pick with your fingers or a toothpick from a dish or serving bowl, like for example olives, cheese cubes, slices of chorizo, etc.;

• Pinchos

"Picks" - All foodstuff that is served on a toothpick or skewer (in the Basque language it is written as "Pintxos", pronounce: "pintsjos");

• Banderillas

Also named "Pinchos de Encurtidos" or "Gildas" - Pinchos consisting of "Encurtidos": pickled food items like olives, peppers, boquerones, onions, etc. speared on a skewer or toothpick (the word "Gilda" means lollipop);

• Cazuelas

"Dishes" - All foodstuff that is served in a dish or a bowl, in a sauce, like for example small meatballs (Albondigas);

Tapas Variations: Local Specialties

Just about every place in Spain has its own culinary specialties, mostly depending on the products of the region.

For example, the province of Galicia, located in the noth western corner of Spain between the Gulf of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean, has a rich fishing tradition and is known for the "Pulpo a la Gallega". This "Galician Octopus" is cooked in cubes, and is served with spicy paprika powder and coarse salt.

Pulpo a la Gallega

Tapas Menu - Basque Pintxos Recipes

The Basque Country is an autonomous community in the north of Spain which through the ages has developed a very refined culinary culture.

In the Basque language, the word for pinchos is written as "pintxos", named after the toothpick or skewer that is typical of all Basque tapas. Just as typical is the slice of crispy fresh or toasted bread or long bread on which many of the Basque tapas are served.

Pimientos de Padrón - Coming Soon to Your Local Store?

It would actually be a bit strange if the Pimientos de Padron can not yet be found at your local supermarket or international store.
Fact is that these thick little green peppers are cheap, healthy, easy to prepare, and very tasty indeed. They make fantastic fingerfood!
Read more HERE